Evaporation cooler



EVAPORATION COOLER 2 SheetS-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, v1955 Fa.. E,

5o 55 55 s? 30a V5o L 2| 20h 20a 5 75 23 23a 2o 20h 6a 6 INVENTOR THOMAS B. MARTIN A TTORNEYS March 18, 1958 T. B. MARTIN EVAPORATION COOLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1955 INVENTOR THOMAS B. MARTIN ATTORNEYS Barnes, and Dickinson B. Barker, Los A i as tenants in common Application February '7, 195s, senat No. 48ans@ 6 Ctaims. (ci. 2st-29) This invention has to do with evaporation coolers and has, among its objects and advantages, the provision of an evaporative cooler:

(l) Wherein the construction is such that the pad element forms a seal with the outer casing;

(2) Wherein the moving parts are all suspended from a single removable panel, thereby greatly facilitating assembly and repair;

(3) Wherein the driving motor, blower and pump are all mounted to rotate about a single axis, thereby eliminating costly connections and rendering the device eX- tremely compact;

(4) Wherein I provide a novel arrangement for connecting the pump and blower wheel to the motor shaft, thereby eliminating the necessity of a double-shafted motor;

Which incorporates a novel water pump mechanism which is extremely economical to manufacture, eiiicient, and provides circumferentially spaced outlets from the pump housing to insure eective and properly distributed Water How;

(6) Embodying a novel arrangement for catching any moisture which might accumulate on the louvers as a result of operation;

(7) Embodying a novel arrangement for retaining the water-absorbent pads in proper position, facilitating both initial installation and removal and replacement; and

(8) Wherein I provide novel means for properly distributing the water on the pad element.

Still further subordinate objectsl and advantages will appear hereinafter.

Without intending thereby to limit the broader scope of my invention as defined by the accompanying claims, l shall now describe the presently preferred embodiment thereof, for which purpose i shall refer to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a front side elevation with parts broken away and parts shown in section for illustrated purposes:

Fig. 2 is a top plan view with part of the top cover broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the water distributing trough;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2;V 'Y

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line 6 5 of Fig. 5; Y

Fig.V 7 is a side elevation with part broken away;

Fig. 8 is .an enlarged Ysection taken on line 8--3 Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the pump Velement. 9 Y' Y Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 5 denotes a easing having a rectangular base or bottom portion 5 having a bottom Wall 6a and side walls 6b. The base is preferably provided with feet 7. The bottom portion of the base provides a water reservoir t5.

States Patent C 2,3272@ Patented Mar. l, i958 A louvered side air inlet baffle 10 is U-shaped in horizontal section, preferably having vertical louvers 16a and defines the back and ends of the casing. Panel l@ is supported from the base by means of the outturned hanged portion 14 of the panel being secured to the side wail of the base, as by screws 15.

As best shown in Figs. l, 3 and 7, the plane of the outer surface of the panel ll@ is inwardly offset from the plane of the side walls 6b of the base by the flanged portions 14, la, so that any moisture which may accumulate on the panel in the form of droplets may fall back in-to the reservoir after being caught in the collecting chamber provided by theianged portion 14 which is below the top Vedge of the base side wall 6b.

A front panel 20 has a rectangular medial opening 29a, said panel being curved at its corners 2f. and its ends 22 are turned inwardly to function as abutments for the side edges 24 of the panel to. The front panel is secured to the front side wall 6b of the base as by screws 2.5. The top and bottom edge portions Zttb and inner edge portion Zilc of the front panel are inturned. A lout/ered panel 23 is secured to panel 2? within opening Lila, the louvers 23a preferably being horizontal.

A rectangular cover or top portion 3@ has a top wall 30a and sidewalls Sb, the latter being secured to the front panel by screws 32 and to upper flanged portion 14o of the side panel l@ by means of screws 36.

A lbrous water-absorbent pad 4% of U-shaped horizontal section is disposed against the inner surface of side panel 10, being held in such position by spaced vertically disposed bars 42 whose lower ends are hooked at 4.13 through holes in the bottom hanged portion of panel 10, and whose upper ends 41E- are hooked in holes provided in the upper flanged portion of panel The bottom edge portion of the pad depends into the water reservoir and against the bottom wall of the base, while the top edge portion of the pad is turned, outwardly adjacent its top edge so that its top edge portion is engaged by the cover 30 to provide a seal therebetween. This greatly facilitates and simplifies the changing of the pad as well as the initial assembly of the device and prevents air from passing around the tcp edge of pad.

A water distributing trough Si) is also 'LJ-shaped in horizontal section and is V-shaped in cross-section, extending over the outwardly and upwardly disposed top portion den of pad 4t? and having end closures 59a. rEhe trough also has a series of longitudinally spaced spillways 554 provided by striking a substantially semi-circular portion 54a frm the trough, the portion 54a being bent out of the plane of the trough and serving to properly direct the water onto the pad. The corner portions 5ba of the trough are pinched or restricted so that water does not pass freely past the corners from one section of the trough to another.

The scroll 56 of the centrifugal blower unit 55 has its discharge end secured to the inturned portions 2de or the front panel as by screws 53, the discharge end of the scroll being thus in communication with the casing outlet defined by the louvers 20a. The scroll is thus mounted in spaced relation to the bottom wall en of the base.

The motor 66, which is connected to a suitable electrical source by wires, not shown, is suspended in and concentric with the central opening 61 of the scroll by means of brackets 63 secured at theirr ends to the top of the scroll by screws 64 Vand secured to the motor housing by screws A65.

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The shaft 7i? of the motor depends below the motor V peller bladeV 89. Y The blade Si) rotates inta purnp housing 82 whose top wall 83 is suspended from the lannular neck S4 of the scroll by means of the bracketsl S1.- The shaft 73 loosely extends through `a rubber-like bearing 79 disposed in an axial opening in the top wall of the pump housing, the space between theshaftl and Vbearing providing an additional water outlet and also to' allow slight lateral play of the shaft.

The top wall of the pump housing has three circumferentially spaced outlet openings S5,V each carryingra nipple 815V on each of which nipples I mount ai exible delivery hose 87 (Fig. 9), the discharge ends of the hoses 87 communicating with the water distributing trough 59 at points spaced longitudinally therealong.

The rear side wall ofthe base 6 has an outwardly bulged Vor flared portion 90 to provide a spout for filling the reservoir with water.

From the foregoing it will be observed that all the moving parts of the cooler are suspended from the scroll, which in turn is mountedV on the front panel, so that by removing the top cover and the front panel, the scroll and all the moving parts may be removed from the casing. Tov remove the pad and install a new one it is only necessary to unhook'the top ends of the rods 42 from the ilange 14a and swing them away from the pad to permit the pad to be removed. After a new pad is installed, it is only necessary to rehook the top ends ofV the rods to the trough.V The mounting of the motor, the blower wheel and the pump about the same vertical axis eliminates the the necessity of manyV parts and connections which are necessary in conventional coolers, the motor is always exposed to the moving air stream so that it is kept effectively cool, and the cooler may be made extremely small and compact. Since the louvers a are inwardly offset from the side walls of the base, any moisture ac- |cumulating on the louvers will, of course, drop back into the reservoir. Y

Inroperation the reservoir S is lled with water, which is picked up by the pad, in addition to being depositedV on the padby the pump, the motor operates the blower'k to draw air through the side panel louvers and through the absorbent pad'and to discharge it into thescroll which directs it through the front panel outlet.

I claim: f

l. Ink an evaporative cooler, a hollow casing having opposed vertically spaced top and bottom portions, said top portion having a top wall and depending side walls and said bottom portion having a bottom wall and upright side walls delining a water reservoir, a front panel disposed uprightly between said top and bottom portions and having an air outlet, a louvered panel of U-shaped cross-sectionv disposed uprightly between said top Vand bottom portions and providing an air inlet, means spacingthe lower end portion of said louvered panel inwardly from said upright side walls below the plane of the top edge ofthe latter whereby to provide a water collecting chamber therebetween, a water absorbent pad of U-shaped cross-section disposed uprightly against the inner surface of said louvered panel, power driven means for drawing air into said casing through said pad anddischarging it through said outlet and means for pumping water from said reservoir onto said pad. p

2. The device of claim l which additionally includes means for releasably retaining said pad against the inner surface of said louvered panel comprising a U-shaped rod having a medial portion disposed against the inner surface of said pad, side portions` extending transversely through said pad and hooked end portions releasably en:

and said bottom portion having a bottom wall and upright side walls dening a water reservoir, a frontrpanel disposed uprightly between said top and bottom portions` and having an air outlet, a louvered panel of U-shaped crosssection disposed uprightly between said top and bottom portions and providing an air inlet, said louvered ,panel being inwardly offset from the plane of said side walls of said bottom portion, a water absorbent pad of U-shaped cross-section disposed uprightly against the .inner surface ofV said louvered panel, power driven means for drawing air into said casing throughvsaid pad and discharging it through said outlet, said pad having its top marginal'portion curved outwardly into sealing engagement with the side wall of said toprportion and its bottom marginal portion depending into said reservoir, a water'distributing trough of U-shaped plan section disposed 'againstthe inner surface of said curved portion of said pad and meansk for moving water from said reservoir into said trough.

5. In an evaporative cooler, a hollow casing having op-V posed vertically spaced top' and bottom portions, saidl bottom portion having a bottom wall and side walls dening a water reservoir, an upright front panel between said top and bottom portions and having'an air outlet,

the sidewalls of the bottom portion whereby to provide a water collecting chamber therebetween, a water ab;

sorbent pad disposed uprightly against said louvered panel and extending into said reservoir, and power driven.

means for moving air into said casing throughrsaidn pad and discharging it through said outlet.

6. In an evaporative'cooler, a portable hollow casing,V

havingY a water reservoir in its bottom, and uprighLU- shaped, louvered air inlet panel, an upright air outlet panel, a U-shaped waterl absorbent pad 'disposed up-Y rightly against the inner surface of said air inlet panel, a power `driven pump lcommunicating with said reservoir, means for moving air linwardly through said airinlet panel and discharging it outwardly through said air outlet panel, and a U-shaped trough having ,water distributing leg portions, said trough being disposed at the upper portion of said pad in position to depositwater thereon, means permitting only restricted ow between said leg portions and water-passing conduits having their outlet ends in communication with said pump and discharging respectively at their outlet ends into said respective leg portions of said trough. Y n Y i Y References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,100,454 Schroeder Nov. 30, 1937 2,237,497 Munford Apr.8, 1941 2,404,479 Essick July 25, 1946 2,588,612 Brookins Mar. 11, 1952' 2,594,688 Shapiro Apr, 29, 1952 2,608,396V Shapiro Aug. 26,4952 2,655,349 Beavin 0ct. 13,1953 2,685,434 Underwood Aug. 3, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 605,267 Great BritainA July 20, 1948 

